Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1887-09-02
HIS BOY.
BY TOM z. MORGAN.

The sun had long since dropped be-
hind the scrubby jack oaks" on Hicks
Knob. There was no moon in sight,
but the dancing stars that, winking and
blinking so mcrrily at each other,
seemed mildly flirting the night hours
away, shed a subtle CLEAN Of light down
upon the winding road. At either hand
the dense forest of Southern Missouri
stretched away, broken only by the
knobs ("knobs' the squatters call them
that reared their scraggy heads at unex-
pected places. Far off to the right a
sleepy rain-crow, that had been hustled
off from his perch by his uneasy mate,
gave utterance to his harsh, uncanny,
squawking cry, which sounded much as
if his vocal organs sadly needed oiling.
The shadows at the foot Of the great
piebald stem of the tall sycamore were
dense and black, and, close to the road
side just opposite, the shades of the lit
tie clump of red-bud trees were inky
and irregular in outline. Presently one
Of the patches of darkness moved a little
and Boulson's hoarse voice whispered
loudly:
"See anything yit"
Dad blame it all, nor answered
Deputy Sheriff Hanks from the opposite
shadow.
oval, sher'f this is picnic, to be,
shore, " philosophical Boulson. sasssel
r.ss alseI tsesF Z reckon, s5ttt -exI3 3rtsen 4
amt mashed hevin' spiders aEes
erawlin' up and down my back hlE
they've been doin' for the last hour. ],
mighty hungry for a smoke Just now. q
"Abe, too but it won't do"
''Know that Consarn that scounl
drell I'll feel like shootin' him just fol
luck when he comes, if he ever docs /"
'Me, too, whispered the deputy
sheriff again. "Only we mustn't, les
we halter Had too long chase tc
waste him now, ch, Bousonw
''You bet" that worthy Whispered
hoarsely. But eff he hain't powerful
; cafTul wen tunk him on the ground
time Or two jest kinder on general prin
ciplcs, added Hanks.
"Thars what, " answered Boulson.
'Moren a month we've ben afte
him, went on the deputy, "'and no,
we're no, goin' to low him to give u
the slip. IIain't got no requisition t
take HIM back to Kansas. Don't nee
none, l reckon. This is as good a requ
siton as l want
Hanks thrust his hand out into tn
starlight, and the huge revolver /
grasped cleaned balefully.
Plenty good enough, answered Bou
SON won't be no trouble about i
papers Wen we take him back, reel
on, went on Hanks. The boys'll sctt
his case Ioss stealin' don't call for !
trial in Kansas.
''Yu bet yer lifel' replied Boulson
Thar he comes now," whispere
Deputy Sheriff Hanks, as a dark, ga
loping figure came in view, swiftly de
ccndiug the winding road down the 81,
Of Hicks Knob. Then the shadows at Il
foot Of the sycamore and by the red-bl
clump grew rigid and silent For mai
long days these two determined men hi
been on the trail Of the man who nc
galloped toward them. At last the lol
hunt seemed about to end What t
riders fate would be Hanks had c
pressed IN the sentence, "Hoss steal
don't call for no trial in Kansas"
Wonder if he's got Kitl' half VIII
p;red the deputy. Bay Kittie had be
the pride and delight of Hanks hea
and when, after many depredations, t
night rider had stolen the bay pa,
from the deputy, that worthy swore t
most diabolical vengeance that he cor
conceive of, and in company W
Boulson followed the trail with the V
dictiveness Of a bulldog.
!, The footballs of the approaching no
beat musically upon the turf, and /
d rider could be seen peering keenly ahe
When the horses head had aim
E reached the sycamore, a dark fig
sprang from the red bud shade, point
one of the seIf-cocking acquisitions
the heart of the rider The horse st
ped with a snort
= Up with yer Lands" cried Be
son.
The rider threw one hand to his
and, like flash, half drew a weap
The sycamore's shadow sprang u
him, pinioned his arms to his sides,
moment later threw him prone to
"a earth with his knee on the heay
q chest. Boulson tied the horse and v
- TO thcai OF the deputy. Together t
turned their prisoner over and shacI
him Hanks asked as they rose to t
fe Was it Kate77
No"
Z the deputy handled the pr:s,